In suspension firing solid fuel, such as coal and lignite, the fuel must be first pulverized before it can be introduced into the furnace in a stream of air commonly termed “primary air” (PA). Such pulverization is accomplished in a mill wherein the solid fuel is simultaneously pulverized and dried in the PA stream. Accordingly, the PA stream entering the mill must be heated to a temperature high enough to ensure sufficient drying of the fuel within the mill. Typically the PA stream is heated in an air preheater prior to entering the mill. As such, the PA stream is heated using heat in a heat exchange relationship from hot flue gas leaving the system boiler. However, in a system requiring a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system located between the boiler gas exit and the air heater gas inlet, the maximum temperature of flue gas entering the air heater gas inlet is that allowed for efficient operation of the SCR system. Providing flue gas having a maximum temperature of that allowed for efficient operation of the SCR system is insufficient for pulverizing and drying high moisture fuels.
Therefore, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus capable of achieving a sufficiently high PA temperature and quantity to assure adequate drying of high moisture fuels in systems requiring a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system located between the boiler gas exit and the air heater gas inlet.
It is a specific object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for adequately heating the PA flow for high moisture fuel drying and pulverizing while not affecting associated SCR system catalysts.